<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>If I Could Make You The Enemy by orphan_account</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29883921">If I Could Make You The Enemy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadow and Bone (TV), The 100 (TV), The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>But here it is, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Mal Oretsev Bashing, but if mal was echo, darklina is endgame here because i said so, the shadow and bone au we didn't need</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:32:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,801</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29883921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bellamy Blake and Echo Winters were raised to not expect much from their lives after both were orphaned at age six in the middle of a country, ravaged by war and darkness. Both are drafted into the First Army, and their first mission? To go into the Anomaly, a cloud of darkness and green haze that the other soldiers whisper rumors about, saying that it's filled with monsters who feast on human flesh.</p>
<p>But when their skiff is attacked while traveling through the darkness, their only saving grace is Bellamy, who reveals himself to have an ancient power that not even he knew existed. He's taken to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite of Arkadia, led by their mysterious leader known only as Wanheda, the Commander of Death. She believes that he is the miracle that will save their country from the Shadow Fold. But things aren't as they seem as he's quickly taken in as Wanheda's pupil, and Bellamy is forced to be left with secrets that could decide the fate of their country.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Abby Griffin &amp; Clarke Griffin, Bellamy Blake &amp; Luna, Bellamy Blake &amp; Roan, Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Bellamy Blake/Echo, Emori/Raven Reyes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>If I Could Make You The Enemy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The servants at Duke Kane’s estate called the two new children </span>
  <em>
    <span>malenchki</span>
  </em>
  <span>, little ghosts, because they were the smallest of the children that lived on the grounds. They would sneak around the kitchens, giggling as they stole the peaches and hid under the sink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There would always be an argument about who had arrived first, the boy or the girl. Both were orphans, their parents lost in the war, and they had been found in the dust and rubble of what had once been beautiful towns. The Duke hired teachers to have them learn to read and write, and as they grew, to learn a trade. The girl was quiet, rarely speaking except when spoken too, and was by far one of the favorite children.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the boy was different, and everyone knew it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every so often as a child, he would hide in the cupboards, listening to the servant women gossip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s a little scoundrel, isn’t he,” Miss Cartwig, the Duke’s housekeeper, said one time. “No child should have that much energy, always in the way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And he’s so thin!” another woman, the cook, exclaimed. “He never finishes his meals.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Curled up next to him, the little girl offered him a questioning glance. “That is true,” she whispered. “Why don’t you eat?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He curled his lip indignantly. “It’s not my fault her food tastes like the plaster on our walls!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It tastes fine to me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s because you’ll eat anything they offer here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them leaned back to the cupboard board, pressing their ears to the wood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, the girl whispered again. “I don’t think you’re as bad as they make you seem.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shhh!” the boy hissed. But unseen by her in the depths of the shadows that their hiding spot offered, he smiled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Every summer, in the grueling heat, the two were given long hours of chores, whether it was helping in the kitchen, cutting the bushes, or cleaning the barn. In the evenings, when no one was around to tell them off, they ran to the woods that surrounded the estate, hunting for birds or swimming in the creek. They would lay in the meadow at night, enjoying the cool night air as he pointed out the constellations and speculating on when the Duke would return from his journeys. He would go to his main house in Tondc during the winter, and would return for a few weeks during the summer before leaving again, though he never said where he went.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teachers grew lax during the winter, and let the older children go early from their classes to play outside. The boy and the girl would sneak out with them, but would hide in the unused rooms to try and keep warm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the day the Grisha Examiners arrived outside Duke Kane’s front door would haunt the two of them for the rest of their lives.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were playing by the window on the highest floor of the mansion, trying to catch a mouse that was scampering back to its hole, when a loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack</span>
  </em>
  <span> came from outside, taking them both by surprise. The boy peered out the window to find a large black sled pulling in past the white gates by a team of three black horses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It stopped at the front of the house, and he tapped the girl violently on the shoulder to get her attention. “Who do you think it is?” he whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugged silently, peering at what she’d been hoping was the mail coach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Three figures stepped out of the sled, dressed in elegant fur hats and beautiful </span>
  <em>
    <span>keftas</span>
  </em>
  <span> of different colors. The woman in the lead wore dark blue, the one on her left was a man dressed in crimson, and on the right, a woman dressed in dark purple.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Grisha!” the girl hissed, ducking down to hide beneath the windowsill. The boy followed suit, and she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are we going?” he whispered as she tugged him down the stairs. She didn’t respond, only kicked off her little shoes, and he did the same. “We shouldn’t be down here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But they slipped through the empty dining hall and darted behind a pair of columns in the main hall, furthest away from the main doors, where Miss Cartwig stood in a pale white dress, already prepared to receive the guests.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There are only two children this year?” an unfamiliar voice rang out. One of the strange women was speaking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy peered around the edge of the column to find two of the Grisha, the man and one of the women, already sitting around the fire. The other woman, the one in blue, with piercing blue eyes and dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail, stood in front of Miss Cartwig. She was clearly the leader of the three.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” the housekeeper replied. “A boy and a girl, both about eight years old, we think.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think?” the man questioned, raising a brow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With their parents deceased before we found them…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We understand,” the woman in blue cut in, an edge to her tone. “As long-time supporters of this institution and Duke Kane, we only wish that he had more of an interest in the common people, and not just the rich children left behind by their parents.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Duke is a great man,” Miss Cartwig said fiercely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy and the girl nodded along at that. Duke Kane had taken them and many others in as young children. He was a hero of war, fighting on the front lines to protect the everyday people, and when he had returned from battle, he had opened his home for years for children like the two of them. They, like everyone else in the mansion, were told to keep him in their prayers every night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are the two of them like?” the man in crimson questioned before the tension could break and a fight could start.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The girl is a natural fighter, but the Duke loves her,” she said, voice quiet. “And the boy is good with his hands. They’re both too smart for their own good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what are they actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>like?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> the woman in purple pressed, her hands tightening. “A natural fighter and being good with their hands don’t give us enough of a description about possible children who could be Grisha.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They are—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Watching us from behind those columns,” the man’s voice cut in, sounding amused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Miss Cartwig spun around, a look of horror on her face, and the boy and the girl ducked behind the columns, barely breathing in case the Grisha could somehow hear them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Echo Winters. Bellamy Blake. Come out this instant!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guiltily, the children left their hiding spot and stood with their heads hung in front of the adults. The housekeeper stared at them, and the children could feel the anger radiating from her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Before you punish them,” the woman in purple said, offering Bellamy and Echo a warm smile. “Let us ask them a few questions.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hesitated, and relented, backing away. The three Grisha moved forward, and the woman in blue crouched down in front of them, offering them what might have been a warm smile, except for the curl in her lip. Bellamy trembled, trying not to flinch when she reached out to move a curl out of his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you know what we are?” she asked, finally stepping back to see them both clearly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Echo nodded. “You’re Grisha. Witches of the First Army.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman in purple spun on Miss Cartwig, clearly outraged. “Witches?” she shrieked, and both children flinched at her tone. “Is that what you teach the children at this orphanage?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their housekeeper looked frightened, and Bellamy felt the instinctive urge to protect her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re not witches, then who are you?” he asked. “We’ve seen Grisha do magic, isn’t that what witches do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Grisha are much more than </span>
  <em>
    <span>witches</span>
  </em>
  <span>,”  the woman wearing the blue kefta said curtly to Echo and Bellamy, offering a harsh glare at the housekeeper before speaking again. “Who do you think teaches Small Science? Who keeps this country safe from the darkness?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Miss Cartwig cut in quietly at that. “I mean no disrespect, but the First Army does as well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Grisha woman visibly stiffened at that, her face tightening. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and the children watched, nervous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As does the King’s Army,” she finally agreed, stepping back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man in crimson stepped forward next and knelt before Bellamy, tilting his head to see the boy better. He offered him a warm smile that contrasted the air that the women carried themselves with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In the autumn,” he said. “When the leaves change color, do you consider that magic? Is it magic when a pot of water warms on the stove?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Echo shook her head at that, visibly awed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Bellamy was much more realistic about the words this man had said. “Anyone can heat a pot of water,” he replied. “Not just a Grisha witch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sigh of exasperation came from Miss Cartwig, and she moved as if to scold the boy, but the woman in purple just laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right, child,” she admitted. The Grisha man raised an eye, smiling a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyone can boil water,” the woman continued. “But not just anyone can master boiling water through the use of the Small Science. That’s why we’re here. To test you for the possibilities of being Grisha.” She turned to Miss Cartwig. “You may leave us now. Thank you for your time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait!” exclaimed Echo, taking everyone by surprise. The adults spared her a glance. “What happens if we are Grisha?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If by some chance even one of you is Grisha,” the man said, stepping back to study the children. “Then you will be sent to a special school where Grisha children learn to use their abilities to help in the war efforts. You will be given beautiful clothing, and better food than you’ve ever eaten during your stay here. How does that sound?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is the greatest way you may serve the King,” Miss Cartwig said, idly hovering at the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Echo and Bellamy glanced at each other, and because the Grisha weren’t paying close attention at this point, they didn’t see the boy reach out to clasp the girl’s hand, nerves lining their faces. And if they had, they wouldn’t have recognized it. But the Duke would have. He had spent years fighting side by side with peasants who fought without aid from their King. He had seen a man standing at the point of the rifle, if only to protect his children. And he knew the look of a woman who would defend her home until her very last breath.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>